Pinholder



0. N. PRATT Sept. 28, 1954 PINHOLDER Filed Jan. 5, 1952 4 w x 2 w m If].INVENTOR :8 OGDEN N. PRATT BY R g f v ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 28. 1954UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PINHOLDER Ogden N. Pratt, Dayton, OhioApplication January 5, 1952, Serial No. 265,183

11 Claims.

This invention relates to pin holders suitable for commercial anddomestic use where the basting of fabric materials requires the use ofmany pins.

The primary object of the invention is to provide an improved pin holderwhich includes mechanical means for feeding and positioning the pinsduring basting operations.

A specific object of the invention is to provide a pin holder with anautomatic feed means for advancing pins to an ejection position, and amanually operable means to manipulate a pin from that position into aposition suitable for insertion into fabrics during basting or similaroperations.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved pin holderof simple construction which is readily operable by one hand of theworker during basting of fabrics or in other types of operationsrequiring the use of a plurality of pins.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved pin holderwhich, due to its few parts, is susceptible to inexpensive manufacture.

With the foregoing, and other objects in View, the invention resides inthe following specification and appended claims, certain embodimentsthereof being shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a partially sectioned view in perspective of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a partially sectioned end elevational View of the invention;

Fig. 3 is a partial view in perspective of the ejection end of theinvention;

Fig. 4 is a sectional plan view of the body portion only of theinvention taken along the line 44 of Figure 1; and

Fig. 5 is a rear elevational view of the invention.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the pin holder referred togenerally at I consists of two main parts, a body 2 and an ejector plate3. The body 2 is preferably formed by die casting a plastic materialsuch as Bakelite; however, it is obvious that other materials such asmetal would be equally suitable. The body 2 is provided with an opening4, the purpose of which will hereinafter be described. Adjacent theopening 4 on either side of the body 2 are bosses 5 having underlyingarcuate grooves 6. The body 2 is formed with a longitudinal slot 1running from the loading end 8 to the ejection end surface 9 where it isjoined by a transverse slot It] in the body 2. The slot 1 is of suchdesign as to accommodate a plurality of pins H in sideby-sidearrangement with their fiat heads being received in the circular channelportion 12. It is to be noted that the slot 1 is formed on both sides ofthe opening 4 so that the upper and lower sections of pins II are heldagainst lateral movement with respect to the body 2 when they areinserted at the loading end 8.

A resilient means, preferably a heavy rubber band !3, is used toautomatically move the pins ll toward the end surface 9 after a leadingpin is ejected from the body. This band [3 is first engaged with one ofthe grooves 6 in a boss 5 after the body has been loaded with pins. Itis then passed around the last pin I4 through the opening 4 and loopedover the other boss 5 to engage the other groove 6. Thus, as can clearlybe seen in Fig. 4, a considerable amount of force may be applied to thepins to move them toward the left, or the ejecting position.

The length of the channel I and the position of the bosses 5 as well asthe strength and length of the band 13 will determine the amount of pinsto be effectively accommodated by this pin holder. Thus the body 2 maybe longer to accommodate more pins. The bosses 5 may be located furtherto the left when viewing Fig. 4 so that less pins will be left in adormant position between the points 15 and H3 in the body 2 when theband l3 has advanced pin M to the point 16.

The body 2 is formed with an elongated arcuate portion l! which consistsof a substantially circular head It joined to the body 2 by neck portionIS. The neck portion I9 defines a recess 20 between the shoulder 2| ofthe body 2 and the head I8. The neck portion l9 also defines the innersurface of a groove 22 on the rightside of the body as viewed in Fig, 2.The outer surface of the groove 22 is defined by the rib 23.

The ejector plate 3 is preferably formed from a single piece of metalhaving superior resilient qualities. The upper end of the plate 3 isformed to engage the head [8 of the elongated portion ll of body 2. Theend 24 of plate 3 is placed in groove 22 and the plate is then sprungover head l8 until the indented portion 25 is received in recess 20 ofthe body 2. It is to be noted that the arcuate portion 26 of the plateis spaced from the upper edges of head 18 for a purpose hereinafterdescribed. It should also be noted that the indented portion 25 of theplate 3 occupies only a portion of the recess 20.

The plate 3 is provided at one side with an ejector member 21 extendingtransversely to plane defined by the plate. The member 2'! is providedwith an inclined portion 28 for engaging the pins II. The lower portionof the member 21 is recessed at ll when the plate 3 is formed to providean ofiset portion 29 which serves as a pin stop during operation of themechanism. The end of the body 2 is recessed at 30 to accommodate thisofiset member 29 as seen in Fig. 3. The member 21 is provided with aslot 3| through which a pin 32 extends to limit the outward movement ofthe plate 3. The pin 32, as shown in Fig. 4, extends from the exteriorof body 2 through the slot 3| of the plate, and the rear section 33 ofslot it] into the body at 34. This pin may be press-fitted into positionor may have a threaded engagement at 34.

Adjacent to and leading into the section 33 of slot is a cam surface 35which is engaged by a similar cam surface 36 on member 21 during anoperation of the device.

The complete operation of the invention will now be described. Aplurality of pins, either in connected strip form or otherwise, areloaded into slot I at loading end *8. The first pin loaded abuts thesurface 9 and the remainder fill the slot 1. The rubber band !3 is thenlooped over one boss 5 to engage a groove 5, and is then Wrapped aroundthe last pin Ill through opening 4 to engage the groove 6 in the otherboss 5. The operator may then grasp the holder by placing the thumbagainst the body 2 and the fingers against the spring plate 3. Upon theapplication of pressure, the plate 3 is moved inwardly until camsurfaces 35 and 36 engage each other. Upon the engagement of these twosurfaces, further pressure will move the plate 3 and consequently themember 2'! inwardly and downwardly. The downward movement is permittedby the spaced relationship between the arcuate portion 26 of the plateand the upper edge of the head It as well as by the relative size ofrecess 20 to the indented portion 25 of the plate.

The angular portion 28 of member 2! engages a pin in the transverse slotI0 and will rotate the first pin about its head as an axis. As the pinis under the tension of resilient band 13, the depending pin stop member29 which is provided on member 21, prevents the said pin from beingprojected out of the access opening 31 provided in the end of thecasing. When the pin has been rotated to the position shown in Fig. 2,it will be seen that, due to the cam action of surfaces 35 and 35, theheel portion 38 of member 21 has moved downwardly over the head 39 ofthe pin to firmly engage the shank thereof at 40 the other side of theshank being firmly engaged against lower wall 43 of slot Ill. The lowersurface 42 of the member 21 at recess M then firmly engages the head 39of the pin to hold it in the circular portion I2 of channel 1.

With the pin thus extending at right angles from the body a bastingoperation may be made. The fabric so engaged by the pin acts throughfriction to dislodge the pin from the holder after pressure on thespring plate 3 has been released and the member 21 has moved back to thenormal position as shown in Figure 1; the holder I as a whole beingmoved longitudinally of the pin and in a general direction opposite tothat used to insert the pin in the fabric.

Thus it is seen that the invention provides an improved holder andmanipulator for pins which is simple in construction and which is easilyhandled when it is desired to place pins in fabrics undergoing bastingoperations.

I claim:

1. A pin holder comprising a body for carrying a plurality of pins,means connected to the body to feed said pins through said body to anejecting station therein, and means connected to said body and operablein a plane transverse to the plane of said feed means for rotating saidpins singly about one extremity of said pins as an axis from a feedposition to an ejection position at said ejecting station.

2. A pin holder comprising a body for carrying a plurality of headedpins, means connected to the body to feed said pins through said body toan ejecting station therein, and means connected to said body andoperable in a plane transverse to the plane of said feed means forrotating said pins singly about their heads as an axis from a feedposition to an ejection position.

3. A pin holder comprising a body for carrying a plurality of headedpins, means connected to said body to feed said pins through said bodyto an ejecting station therein, and means connected to said body andoperable at an angle to said feed means for rotating said pins singlyabout their heads as an axis from a feed position to an ejectionposition at said ejection station.

4. A pin holder comprising a body for carrying a plurality of headedpins, resilient means to feed said pins through said body to an ejectingstation therein, and a plate means attached to said body for relativemovement thereto in a plane transverse to the plane of said feed meansto rotate said pins singly about their heads as an axis from a feedposition to an ejection position at said ejecting station.

5. A pin holder comprising a body for carrying a plurality of headedpins, said body including a longitudinal slot with a circular portion atthe lower extremity thereof to accommodate the heads of the pins,resilient means to feed said pins through the longitudinal slot in saidbody to an ejecting station comprising a transverse slot in said body,and plate means attached to said body for relative movement thereto inthe transverse slot, the said plate means being operable to rotate a pinabout its head as an axis from the feed position in the longitudinalslot to the ejection position in the transverse slot and to cooperatewith the circular portion of the longitudinal slot and the lower wall ofthe transverse slot in firmly holding said pin in said ejection positionuntil said plate is returned to its nonoperating position.

6. A pin holder comprising a body with longitudinal and transverse slotstherein, the longitudinal slot accommodating a plurality of pins,resilient means to feed said pins through the longitudinal slot in saidbody to an ejecting station therein, a resilient plate means attached tosaid body for relative movement thereto in a plane transverse to theplane of said feed means cooperating with the transverse slot, saidplate being normally biased by its own resiliency to a nonoperatingposition and being operable under pressure to rotate a pin from the feedposition to the ejection position.

'7. A pin holder comprising a body with longitudinal and transverseslots therein, the longitudinal slot accommodating a plurality of pins,each pin having a head portion and a shank portion terminating in apoint, resilient means to feed said pins through the longitudinal slotin said body to an ejecting station therein, and means cooperating withthe transverse slot and feed means to rotate a pin at the ejectingstation about its head as anaxis from the feed position to the ejectionposition so that a substantial portion of the pointed shank of the pinis made to protrude from the body.

8. A pin holder comprising a body for carrying a plurality of pins, eachpin having a head portion and a shank portion terminating in a point,resilient means to feed said pins through said body to an ejectingstation therein, and a resilient plate means attached to said body forrelative movement thereto in a plane transverse to the plane of the feedmeans, said plate bein normally biased by its own resiliency to anonoperating position and being operable under pressure to rotate a pinabout its head as an axis so that a substantial portion of the shank ofthe pin is made to protrude from the body.

9. A pin holder for use in basting and other pinning operationscomprising a body having a slot extending longitudinally from one endthereof through the body and connecting to a transverse slot adjacentthe other end of the body, the longitudinal slot being adapted to hold aplurality of headed pins in side-by-side relationship, resilient meansattached to said body to move said pins through said longitudinal slotto said transverse slot in the body, and a resilient plate attached tosaid body for relative movement thereto in a plane transverse to theplane of the longitudinal slot in the body, the said plate having adepending ejecting member extending into the transverse slot of the bodyso that, upon application of pressure to said plate, the dependingejecting member will engage a pin in the feed position and rotate saidpin about its head as an axis to the ejection position in the transverseslot.

10. A pin holder for use in basting and other pinning operations,comprising a body with a longitudinal slot including a circular lowerportion extending from one end thereof, and terminating in a transverseslot therethrough for carrying a plurality of pins, said transverse slothaving a lower wall, each pin having a circular head portion of slightlyless diameter than the circular portion of the longitudinal slot andhaving a shank portion terminating in a point, resilient means to feedsaid pins through the longitudinal slot in said body to an ejectingstation at the transverse slot in the body, a resilient plate meansattached to said body for relative movement thereto and being normallybiased by its own resiliency to a non-operating position, a cam surfaceon said plate, and a cam surface on said body for cooperation with saidplate cam surface, the said plate means acting, when pressure isapplied, to move transversely inwardly of the body and through thetransverse slot of the body to rotate a pin about its head as an axisfrom the feed position to the ejection position, the inward movement ofsaid plate means being infiuenced by said cooperating cam surfaces toforce the plate means downwardly of the body so that in the ejectionposition a pin will be firmly held between the plate means and thecircular portion of the longitudinal slot and the lower wall of thetransverse slot.

11. A pin holder for use in basting and other pinning operationscomprising a body having a slot with a circular bottom portion extendinglongitudinally from one end thereof through the body and connecting to atransverse slot adjacent the other end of the body said transverse slothaving a lower wall, the longitudinal slot being adapted to hold aplurality of headed pins in sideby-side relationship, resilient meansattached to the body to move said pins along said longitudinal slot tosaid transverse slot in the body, a resilient plate attached to saidbody for relative movement thereto in a plane transverse to the plane ofthe longitudinal slot in the body, a depending ejecting member integralwith said plate and extending into said transverse slot in the body, acam surface on said ejecting member, and a cam surface on the body atthe entrance to said transverse slot, said plate member acting whenunder pressure to move said integral ejecting member in said transverseslot to rotate a pin about its head as an axis from the feed position tothe ejection position, and acting under the influence of saidcooperating cam surfaces to cause said ejecting member to movedownwardly and to firmly engage and hold the pin in the ejectionposition in cooperation with the circular portion of the longitudinalslot and the lower wall portion of the transverse slot.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 946,341 Dooley Jan. 11, 1910 1,286,809 Shaw Dec. 3, 1918FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 404,881 France Oct. 30, 1909

